Today's technology for continuous renal replacement therapies

Critically ill patients are increasingly being treated with continuous haemofiltration and its derived techniques, now grouped under the term 'continuous renal replacement therapies' (CRRT). CRRT can provide adequate blood purification and correction of electrolyte derangements. They also seem to prevent further injury to the patient by maintaining a stable level of homoeostasis. Recently, it has been proposed that CRRT could be used in the treatment of neonates, of patients with heart disease and, finally, of septic patients. It has been hypothesised that continuous therapies might contribute to the removal of noxious substances in the middle molecular weight range such as cytokines or autacoids. According to these new proposals, technical developments are making available new forms of treatment, new materials and specially designed machines.